It All Started With A Smell

Black and Blue

His father was in the office when he entered, looking through ledgers on his bookshelf. With a small greeting he went and sat in one of the chairs facing the desk. When his father finished rummaging through one of the shelves he raised an eyebrow at Shikamaru.

"What are you doing?"

"Eiji will be here soon and you said I could use your office."

Shikaku smiled. "I meant what are you doing on that side of the desk?"

Shikamaru eyed the high backed chair he was facing, his throat constricting. "But that's your chair."

"And it will one day be yours. But at the end of the day it's just a chair. It's where it sits that matters."

"So I should move the chair?" Shikamaru joked.

"I think: 'stop running from things that are in your future' is better advice from your father," Shikaku replied, walking towards the door. Just before he left he turned and added, "For more than just the chair too."

As the door clicked closed Shikamaru took a deep breath and walked around the desk. The chair was well worn from years of use. He wasn't sure how old it was. For all he knew it could have been his grandfather's or his father could have bought it for himself. The leather was warm as he sat down and got himself situated. Within moments there was a knock on the door.

"Come in." He was surprised at the steadiness of his own voice as Eiji opened the door. "Have a seat." Once the blue haired man was sitting before him, looking somewhat uncomfortable, Shikamaru released a calming breath and started. "I thought I should let you know that being friends with Naruto isn't going to help you get into the Clan. Though he has spoken highly of you."

"I'm well aware that Naruto is a girl, so you can drop the he thing. Naruto told me you knew of her gender too. And I don't expect you to let me join your Clan based on who my friends are."

"Hmm, I'm glad you brought up the gender thing actually. Isn't it hospital policy to keep a patient's file confidential?"

Eiji laughed. "Oh, that. It is. I didn't leave it open for Airi to see. Naruto's file is chakra locked. The only one who can give another person access is her, otherwise only her six healers, the Hokage and herself can see it. Naruto gave Airi access to her photo only, and made sure it was open. I didn't realise until Airi commented."

Shikamaru frowned. "Why would she do that?"

"I was talking about how I don't keep secrets from Airi, how I had tried to keep the application to the Clan a surprise for her but I failed. I guess she thought I was talking about having to keep her gender a secret too."

Thinking over Eiji's words Shikamaru couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Of course she does the selfless thing."

"That's our girl for you." Eiji laughed. "So what is it that you and your father need of me to prove myself to you?"

"Just a chat really." Shikamaru sat back, trying to ease his shoulders. "Only really one question too: why do you want to join the Nara Clan?"

Eiji took a deep breath, clearly mulling over the question. "Well before I came to the village to be a Healer I lived with a Nomadic group. We never had a place to call home, because we were meant to call the group, our family, home. It's fine for others, but I never felt like I was able to connect with anyone else. We never cared for any of the villages that we saw or the people in it. So I left, and came here, and those I was meant to see as home turned on me. They only cared about me whilst I did what they wanted me to. It was different here though. People didn't just value me for my medical expertise but also cared about me as a person."